The Colorado Oil and Gas Association is suing the city of Fort Collins for its voter-imposed moratorium

By Jessica Maher Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

Posted:
02/13/2014 01:51:58 PM MST

Several advocacy groups have filed a motion to intervene in the Colorado Oil and Gas Association's lawsuit against the city of Fort Collins for its voter-imposed fracking moratorium.

Citizens for a Healthy Fort Collins, the Sierra Club and Earthworks announced Thursday that they filed the motion to join the lawsuit and defend the city.

"It is important to us as an organization that the moratorium is upheld," Kelly Giddens of Citizens for a Healthy Fort Collins stated in a press release. "This lawsuit, designed to overturn the moratorium, is a blatant attempt by COGA to bypass the will of the voters and possibly jeopardize public health, safety and property values in our community."

Last November, Fort Collins joined other municipalities in Colorado that have limited or banned hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. A five-year fracking moratorium within Fort Collins city limits was approved by 56 percent of voters.

Like other municipalities that have implemented fracking bans or moratoriums, Fort Collins was promptly slapped with a lawsuit by COGA. The industry advocacy group contends that the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that fracking cannot be banned, and as such, limits on the process in individual municipalities are illegal.

Citizens for a Healthy Fort Collins, the Sierra Club and Earthworks are represented as a group by the University of Denver Environmental Law Clinic, which also represents Protect Our Loveland, the group advocating that a two-year fracking moratorium be placed on the ballot in Loveland.

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"Apparently the oil and gas industry thinks there's such a thing as too much democracy," Bruce Baizel, director of Earthworks' Oil & Gas Accountability Project, said in the press release. "In Fort Collins and across the country, wherever voters choose to wait and see on fracking, industry sues to overturn the vote. Such bullying tactics simply confirm that the industry is losing the public debate."